Hat-display rack.



M. A. WILLIAMS.

HAT DISPLAY RACK.

APPUCATION HLED FEB. 26. 1914.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

1 I'll Iv I WITNESSES A TTOR/VEYS MARTIN A. WILLIAMS, 0]? THURBER, TEXAS.

HAT-DISPLAY RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Application filed February 26, 1914. Serial N 0. 821,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN A. IVILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Thurber, in the county of Erath and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Hat-Display Rack, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improved hat display racks forming a part of the accoutrements of a haberdashery for the supporting or display of hats in such a manner as to permit a full line of hats to be displayed, as well as to economize space and render more convenient the keeping of the hats in stock.

Another object of the invention is to construct a hat display rack in which a frame provided with uprights supports a series of shelves adapted to be independently or simultaneously adjusted on the uprights to permit the removal of a particular hat and to permit the replacing of one or all of the same, as well as to prevent their accidental displacement but permit them to be displayed to the fullest advantage. I

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides more particularly in the peculiar combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed, it being also an object to provide a device which is 7 simple in construction, durable and etlicient in operation, and not likely to get out of working order.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hat display rack constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the hats being indicated thereon'in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in- Fig. 1 with the hats omitted; Fig. 3 is i a plan view of the device; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a fragmentary portion of'one upright and showing the manner of slidablv mounting the shelves thereon and supporting the shelves in order to permit a hat to be removed or replaced; Fig. 5 isa plan view of a further modified form of the invention; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the supporting means employed in the form.

illustrated in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a plan new of a still further modified construction.

As illustrated, the form of the hat rack shown 1n Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings embodlesa suitable base or. support 10 havlng a pair of spaced parallel uprights 11 secured thereto, as shown at 12, preferably at the sides and equi-distantly from the front and rear edges of the base. Adjustably mounted on the uprights and between the same are a plurality of shelves 13, said shelves having integral or attached sleeves 14 at their ends, preferably bent from a section of metal stamped integrally with each shelf and adapted to encircle the uprights with the exception of an outer space 15.

Each shelf is provided with an opening 16 conforming generally to the crown of the hat, several of which are indicated in dotted llnes by the numeral 17, and said openings are provided with restricted portions 18 communicating with the front edges of the shelves in such a manner as to prevent displacement of the hats but'to permit the latter to be displayed to the fullest advantage. In order to support the shelves at proper spacedintervals apart vertically so as to cause the hats to telescope or nest one within the other at their crowns and thus economize space, the sleeves 14 engaged on the uprights or guides 11 are made of such a length as to accommodate the hats, each sleeve having a projection 19 at its inner side adapted to engage the shelf imme diately there-beneath to help sustain the shelf to which it is attached or below which it is disposed. These sleeves are arranged in opposed pairs at the opposite ends.of the shelves so that the shelves are held uniformly spaced apart throughout their lengths.

In order to permit the sleeves and shelves carried thereby to be adjusted on the uprights. the upper sleeves are secured to the uprights as by fastening devices 20 in the form of screws or other means passing into the uprights, and each sleeve near its lower end has an cut-pressed part or projection 21 having a horizontal upper wall, and with the exception of the upper sleeve, spring catches or other engaging devices 22 are secured to the sleeves a short distance above the projections 21. asshown at 23, and provided with engaging ends 24 to pass over the beveled walls-ofthe projections and to support the shelf carried thereby at a spaced distance from the shelf there-beneath.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the upper shelves are disposed in their-proper relations and certain of the lower shelves are similarly disposed, but the upper series and the lower series are spaced apart, the upper series being suspended from the top sleeves while the lower series rest upon the lower sleeves on the base, thus providing suffici nt space to permit the hat carried on the upper shelf of the lower series to be removed upon being disposed vertically from the crown of the hat there-beneath. This may be done by dropping the lower sleeves upon drawing out upon the spring catches 22 through the instrumentality of finger rings 25 fixed thereto at their upper and free ends but is more preferably done by raising of the sleeves simultaneously through the instrumentality of handles 26 secured to the inner sides of the lowermost sleeves and projecting forwardly therefrom and beyond the front end of the lower shelf. By raising upward on these handles the catches will automatically engage to hold the sleeves coupled together and the shelves raised in their proper order so that by releasing the catches of the uppermost shelf of the series to be lowered all of said shelves may be simultaneously lowered, or each. may be independently lowered as preferred and as found most convenient.

In the form oflthe invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings the base is indicated by the numeral 27 and has a pair of side uprights 28 and a rear upright 29 accommodating a shelf 30 through the instrumentality of engaging portions or sleeves 31 having side plates terminating at the sides-of the uprights in contra-distinction to the bending thereof around the up- 7 rightsin the heretofore described form of the invention. The shelves 30 are provided with openings 32 wholly inclosed and-openings 33 communicating with the open edges thereof so that each shelf accommodates two hats. In order to, support the shelves in position and to permit them to be properly adjusted for removing or replacing the hats, the outer edges of the uprights are provided with substantially semi-circular horizontal notches 34 spaced apart at points substantially equal to the lengths of the sleeves and substantiallv U-shaped bails or catches 35 are pivoted to the sleeves near the lower edges thereof and disposed outwardly of the uprights to swing into the notches to support the sleeves and shelves in the manner more particularly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings the base is indicated by the numeral36 and mounted on the base are a central vertical upright 37 and uprights 38 at either side thereof, the

base being elongated laterally instead of most as distinguished from the necessary in- 1:

dependent operation of the shelves by reason of the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that a hat display. rack constructed inaccordance with my invention may be fitted within a show case to replace the usual cumbersome and expensive racks and adjustingdevices, and will occupy such aminimunrspace asto permit a larger supply of hats to be displayed than is now possible. The handling of the hats can also be more conveniently done andin additionthey will be prevented from fallingout and being injured.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new v and desire ters Patent is V 1. A hat display rack, comprising [upto secure by Letrights suitably supported in spaced parallel relation, hat receiving shelves, sleeves attached to the shelves and shdably engaged w1th the uprlghts, certain of said sleeves adapted to be fixed to the uprights, and

means for detachably connecting certain of the sleeves to suspend the latter on the ;up-

rights from the uppermostsleeves' and sup port the shelves and hatstherewith,.said sleevesbemg adapted to be independently and simultaneously moved on the uprights.

2. A hat display rack, comprising uprights suitably supported in spaced parallel relation, hat receiving shelves, sleeves attached to the shelves and shdably engaged with the uprights, certain of said sleeves adapted to be fixed to the uprights, means for detachably connecting certain of the s leeves'to suspend the latter on the uprights from the uppermostsleeves and support the shelves and hats therewith, andzhandles carried by the lower sleeves, said handles pro: jecting forwardly beyond the frontends of the shelves for raising the sleeves and shelves there-above. 3. In a hat display rack, uprights, shelves having members at their ends slidably engagmg the uprights, said members having 7 projections, and a spring catch secured to each member of the shelves and engaging the projections of the members of the shelves next above.

4:. In a hat display rack, uprights,;shelves having at their ends sleeves shdably engag ng the uprights, each sleeve being provided with a projection, and aspringcatch r secured to each sleeve above the projection and adapted to engage the projection of the sleeve next above.

5. In a hat display rack, uprights, shelves having at their ends sleeves slidably engaging the uprights, each sleeve being provided on its inner side With a projection adapted to engage the shelf next below and on its front side with a projection, and a spring catch secured to each sleeve and adapted to engage the front-side projection on the sleeve next above.

6. In a hat display rack, uprights, shelves having at their ends sleeves slidably en- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, .by addressing the gaging the uprights, each sleeve being provided with a projection, the uppermost sleeve having means for detachably securing it to the uprights, the projection on said sleeve adapted to be engaged by a spring catch carried by the sleeve next below.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the'presence of two subscriblng wltnesses.

MARTIN A. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. BURCH, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

